Furnace for smoking goods such as fish, meat, sausage, and the like



July 7, 1931.

K. WINKELMULLER FURNACE FOR SMOKING GOODS SUCH AS FISH, MEAT, SAUSAGE, AND THE LIKE Filed March 15, 1928 Patented July 7, 1931 I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL WINKELMI ILLER, F LEITPZIG, GERMANY FURNACE FOR SMOKING GOODS SUCH AS FISH, MEAT, SAUSAGE, AND THE LIKE Application filed March 15, 1928, Serial No. 261,859, and in Germany March 14, 1927.

Smoked goods such as fish, meat, sausage mentioned drawbacks will likewise be presand the like are usually dried prior and freent. quently also subsequent to the smoking proc- After sufficient drying the goods are concss. Accordingly, in smoke-plants drying vcyed from the drying chambers into the .5 and smoking chambers are provided in the smoking towers and since the temperature form of large drying houses and SmOk of the latter is in most cases different from towers. .In these houses and towers the that of the drying chambers, the goods will goods to be subjected to the smoking process either continue to give oif moisture and by are suspended from rods provided beside reason of this become too dry, or the oppo- 10 and above each other in large quantities. site will be the case, viz: the goods will During the warmer season of the year the again absorb moisture. At the bottom of the natural air-draft is used for the drying, smoke towers there is provided the fumigawhile during the. cooler season special heattor, that is the apparatus which serves for ing bodies are provided in the smoking developing the smoke. The smoke ascends 15 houses, towers or the like. A uniform. drythrough apertures which are provided in the ing of the goods, however, cannot well be ceiling ofthe fumigator or smoke developaccomplished in this manner. The pieces of ing apparatus and is further carried in upgoods which are positioned nearest the heatward direction alongside the goods to be ing body or immediately within the current smoked which are suspended in the form of 20 of air will undergo the drying process far layers being positioned one above the other. quicker than other pieces which are in a Thereu on the smoke is discharged at the more unfavorable position, and in addition roof 0 the tower through special wells or to this, drying frequently takes place only chimneys provided for this purpose. The on one side of these pieces. For this reason goods which are immediately placed above 25 the goods to be smoked must be permanently the ceiling of the fumigator will be more observed and frequently the position of the effectively exposed to the smoke gases than several pieces must be changed which rethat part of the goods which is positioned quires a relatively great number of emat a higher place. A further reason for the ployees for large plants. Even in case of uneven smoking of the goods consists there- 0 most careful observation of the goods during in that the smoke gases during ascending so the process of smoking and in spite of frewithin the smoke towers Will be subject to quently changing the position of the same a considerable decrease in temperature. In it is inevitable that a part of the goods will addition to this frequently the smoke does not be sufficiently dried, while another part not uniformly ascend within the towers, this 35 of said goods will be subjected to excessive being especially the case if the air is pushed as drying. Besides, the duration of the drying unevenly forwards within said towers by process is dependent upon the temporary dethe fumigator. In consequence thereof it gree of moisture of the goods, so that in some may happen that at some places the goods cases the drying process will require a shortwill be damaged by burning by reason of or time and in other cases alonger time. If the action of the smoke being too strong, the temperature in the drying space suddenwhile at other places the process of smoking 1y decreases, the moisture which is contained the goods will be quite insuflicient. In order in the air will partly condense and deposit to avoid this, also the position of the goods upon the outside of the meat, fish, sausage .must be permanently changed within the or other goods to be dried, so that the goods smoke towers. In the present case this is will become of soiled appearance. In order quite especially undesirable because the perto more quickly convey the air, so-called exsons who are employed for this purpose hausters have been provided within said are forced to work within the smoke. A drying and smoking chambers. In case of slight inadvertance will fre uently suffice using such exhausters, however, the aforeto permanently spoil the goo s both as re W1 gards appearance as well as regards quality. The process which forms part of my invention is designed to obviate these disadvantages and drawbacks and more particularly to avoid permanent changing of the position of the goods as well as conveying the same from the drying chamber into the smoke towers. The novel features of the process according to my invention consists essentially therein that the drying and smoking is performed in one and the same space, while the air is circulated within said space by means of a s ecial circulating device and carried past a eating body. If necessary, also fresh air may be introduced into said space, while after completed dryingsaid circulating device will supply smoke from the fumigator into said chamber.

By performing the drying and smoking rocess within a single space, the entire plant will be reduced to one half of its ordinary amount of apparatus. The'connecting members serving for introducing the suction and pressure air into the drying chamber as Well as into the smoke chamber may conveniently be so arranged and distributed that the goods will be exposed uniformly at every point of their surface to the air-draft as well as to the smoke so that the position of the goods needs no more to be changed. In this manner waste or spoiled goods will be entirely avoided. For this reason and on account of the fact that the goods do not need to be conveyed into another chamber which serves for the smokrocess, a considerable reduction of the num er of the attendants will be the result. The drying and smoking, in addition to this, will be performed in a much shorter ing time than had heretofore been possible, and

may accurately be inspected even from remote points by means of instruments which are usually employed in connection with airing and heating plants.

The suction and pressure conduits as well as the boiler which serves for supplying the heat necessary for the operation of the plant may be arranged in various ways. Likewise, the boiler and the fumigato'r itself ma be constructed in various forms.

advantageous construction of a plant 7 according to my invention is shown as an example inthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan-view of a furnace serving for the production of the smoke and the heating air, and Fig. 2 a lateral view of the apparatus. shown in Fig. 1.

The furnace 1 is provided with a double wall, and the combustion space proper is designated with the numeral 2 and the airjacket therefor with the numeral 3. Pipe connections 4; and 5 are provided on the airjacket 3 and a similar connection 6 is provided at the combustion space 2. The connecting piece 4 is connected with 'ried into the exhauster.

the pressure-end of an exhauster 7 which draws-in fresh air by means of a conduit 8 and presses said air into the space 3 of the furnace 1.. This air will be heated at the wall of the combustion space 2 and carried by way of the connecting piece 5 and a conduit 9 towards the drying chambers. From the drying chamber a conduit 10 leads back to the suction connecting piece 11 of the eX- hauster 7, so that the hot air will be circulated by action of said xhauster. The supply of fresh air is regulated by means of a choke valve 12 inserted in the conduit 8 serving for the supply of fresh air. Furthermore, the velocity of circulation of the heated air is regulated by means of a choke valve 13 inserted in the conduit 10 serving for carrying back said air. If after some time the goods are sufficiently dried, the connecting pipe 8 is closed up by a choke valve 12.

The connecting piece 6 which leads out of the combustion space 2 of the furnace 1 is connected with a spark-catcher 15, which again is in connection with the suction connecting piece 11 of the exhauster 7 bymeans of a pipe 16. This connecting pipe, however, is closed up by means of a valve 17 at times when the choke valve 12 of the connecting piece 8 which serves for the supply of warm pressure air is opened. After closing the choke valve 12 the valve '17 is opened so that now the exhauster 7 will draw the smoke gases from the combustion space 2 in which a slow combustion takes place and convey said smoke gases by way of the connecting piece 4 through the heating space 3 and the pipe 9 towards the smoke chambers. The transit from the drying to the smoking process will in this manner be accomplished in a very simple way. After completion of the smoking process the valve 17 is closed, thus again closing up the suction conduit for the smoke and by opening the choke valve 12 warm air will again be circulated which will further dry the smoked goods subsequent to the smoking process proper. In this case also the transit from one operation to the other may be accomplished in a very small time.

its

In order to be able to dispose of the smoke during transit from the smoking process to the subsequent drawing process, a discharge connecting piece 18 is provided in the conduit 10 which is ordinarily closed up by means of a choke valve 20. When opening this choke valve 20, the choke valve 13a will be closed so that during discharging of the smoke the latter will no more be car- 7 Since during the process of smoking a heating of the smoke is not required, a connecting pipe 19 may also be inserted intermediate the two connecting pieces 4 and 5 of the furnace 1, said connecting pipe 19 being provided with choking devices 21 and forming an arch for the combustion space 2.

Iclaim:

In combination with a unitary smoking and drying chamber, smokin and drying apparatus comprising a smo e producing furnace, a jacket surrounding said furnace for heating air delivered thereto, a blower, an air inlet duct for the blower, pipe connections whereby air from said blower may be forced through the jacket space and the air thus heated delivered to said chamber, other pipe connections leading from said furnace to said air inlet duct whereby smoke may be delivered by said blower to said chamber through said first named pipe connections, and dampers in said air inlet duct and second-named connections for. controlling the circulation of drying and smok- 0 ing gases.

In testimony whereof afiix my signature. 

